Lilium `Memphis`

ABSTRACT

A new variety of hybrid lily plant bearing flowers of excellent form and long persistence, both on the plant and as cut-flowers. The flowers of the new plant are particularly characterized by their deep pink pink coloration shading into a wide white area surrounding a small yellow ray extending from the nectary furrows. This combination is completely new in the Oriental hybrid divisions of lilies suited to forcing and to mass commercial cultivation. The variety is highly resistant to fusarium disease and shows tolerance of virus. The bulbs may be precooled and forced for cut-flower production. The clone is vigorous and is a good grower and propagator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

My new variety of lily plant originated as a seedling which firstflowered in 't Zand, Netherlands, in 1987. The breeding efforts had astheir objective the production of large-flowered Oriental hybrids inbicolored combinations of pink, white, and yellow, with pigmentedpapillae, suited to forcing into flower out of season, heretoforeunknown in the lily breeding art.

I achieved the desired objective by intercrossing selected semi-uprightpink Oriental seedlings suited to forcing for year-round use ascut-flowers and carrying the recessive gene for a yellow band.

The flowers of my new lily are characterized by large size andbroad-tepalled "bowl-shaped" form, unusually thick substance, and deeppink coloration shading into a wide white area which surrounds a smallyellow ray extending from the nectaries along the midrib, accented withdeeper magenta-rose papillae on the basal half of the tepals, uniqueamong Oriental hybrid lilies. It possesses unusually strong, stoutstems. In addition, the clone possesses to a high degree desirablecharacteristics of hybrid vigor. The clone is a good grower andpropagator, as observed at 't Zand, Netherlands, and at Salem, Oreg.

My new variety of lily plant has been asexually reproduced by me andunder my direction at 't Zand, Netherlands, and at Salem, Oreg.Successive generations produced by natural propagation from bulblets, bybulb scale propagation, and by tissue culturing from bulb scale explantshave demonstrated that the novel and distinctive characteristics of mynew variety are fixed and hold true under asexual propagation fromgeneration to generation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

My new variety of lily plant is illustrated in the accompanyingphotographic drawings, which shows the open bloom in full color andillustrates the flower form, the tepal arrangement, and in particularthe novel and distinctive flower coloration, with wide deep pink edgesshading into an equally wide white area surrounding a short, narrowyellow ray extending from the nectaries, accented by deeper magenta rosepapillae on the basal half of each tepal.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of my new variety of Orientalhybrid lily, with nomenclature according to the International LilyRegister (Royal Horticultural Society of London, Second Edition, 1969),and with color designations according to the Colour Chart of the RoyalHorticultural Society, published by the Society in 1966.

THE PLANT

Origin: Seedling.

Seed parent: Selected unnamed Oriental hybrid seedling.

Pollen parent: Selected unnamed Oriental hybrid seedling.

Commercial classification: Hybrid Lilium clone.

Horticultural classification: Division VII-B, bowl-shaped Orientalhybrid lily, according to the Horticultural Classification of Lilies,Royal Horticultural Society of London.

Form: Single stem, erect and stately.

Height: 75 to 135 cm from bulbs 14 to 18 cm in circumference, providedtheir light levels are adequate; low light levels may cause"stretching."

Growth: Vigorous and upright.

Foliage quantity: Abundant.

Size of leaf: Unusually broad, 4 to 7 cm wide×10 to 14 cm long.

Shape of leaf: Lanceolate (pointed).

Texture: Leathery and glossy.

Color: Medium green, lighter on lower side.

Bulb size: Any size, ranging to 25 cm circumference commercially.

Bulb color: White, with flushes of pink or yellow after exposure tolight.

THE BUD

Form: Obtuse, ovoid, and long.

Size: 8 to 11 cm long and 8 to 12 cm in circumference just prior toopening.

Opening: Bud opens slowly, in response to morning light; this takesabout one hour.

Color: Soft pink (RHS 66 D-68 D) with ivory white to pale green midribs.Peduncle: Averages 4 to 6 cm, but it may elongate if light levels aretoo low or if bulbs have been improperly stored prior to forcing. Coloris medium green with very light plum overlay.

THE FLOWER

Blooming habit: Annually in midseason; flowers once and profusely.

Size: Flowers are medium large-sized, averaging 13 to 17 cm in diameter,reflexing at the tips on the second day to 12 to 15 cm in diameter. Thetepals are broad: outer tepals are 2.25 to 3 cm wide, and the innertepals are 4.25 to 5 cm wide.

Borne: In a single racemic inflorescence producing 5 to 10 flowers froma bulb 14 to 16 cm in circumference.

Shape: Form a broad bowl shape by the second day after opening, with the"bowl" 10 cm deep.

Tepalage: Typical of genus Lilium, with 6 imbricated tepals.

Tepal color: Deep pink (RHS CC red-purple 64 C-D to 68 B-C, dependingupon growing temperatures and light levels) in an area 1-1.25 cm widealong tepal margins, decreasing near the base. The pink area shades intoa white area which is broader at the base, averaging 2 cm wide aboutone-third of the tepal length from the base, narrowing to end at thepoint where the tepal recurves, about one-third of the tepal length fromthe tips. The white area surrounds a small yellow ray averaging 0.5 to1.0 cm wide of RHS CC 6 C to 9 C, extending 2 to 4 cm from the greennectaries. The pink color is slightly affected by temperature and lightlevels; it decreases with high temperatures and low light levels.

Tepal spotting: The basal half of each tepal is spotted with magentarose papillae of moderate size.

Tepal longevity: Tepals stay on stems about three weeks.

Pedicel length: Average 8 to 12 cm long.

Pedicel color: Medium green with very light plum overlay.

Pedicel form: Sturdy and ascending.

Color changes: Flowers become slightly lighter and a more lavender-tonedpink as the flowers age. Low light levels and extreme heat may cause thepink pigmentation to decrease.

Appearance: Flower is shiny.

Disease resistance: The flower and plant are resistant to disease; inparticular, they are resistant to Fusarium bulb rot and Botrytis blight.

Fragrance: Light sweet fragrance.

Lasting quality: The flower is long lasting, both on the plant and as acut-flower.

THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens: Arrangement typical of genus Lilium. Six stamens with softgreen to palest pink filaments 7 to 9 cm long.

Pollen and anthers (dehisced): RHS CC greyed red 178A to 181A.

Pistil: One in number, 7 to 9 cm long.

Stigma: Soft greenish-white, large in size.

Characteristics of ovary: Characteristic of genus Lilium.

THE FRUIT

Fertility: The fruit bears fertile seed.

Shape: Ovoid.

Color at maturity: Soft brown, sometimes overlaid with soft plum.

My new variety of Oriental hybrid lily most nearly resembles `Egypt,`but it has more outfacing flowers, a deeper pink coloration, a widewhite area in the center of each tepal, and a smaller, less noticeableyellow ray extending from the nectaries. Its tepal margins are also muchless ruffled.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinctive variety of Oriental hybrid lily plantsubstantially as herein shown and described, characterized by its highresistance to disease; its tolerance of virus; its vigorous growth andrapid natural propagation; the excellence of its flower form, size, andsubstance; its versatility both as a garden plant and as a cut-flowerproducer from pre-cooled bulbs forced under glass out of season; and inparticular by its unique upright to semi-upright flowers with deep pinkcoloration shading into a wide white center bording a short, narrowyellow ray along the midrib, accented with noticeable magneta rosepapillae on the basal half of each tepal, a combination unique amongOriental hybrid lilies suited to forcing and to mass commercialcultivation.